


Entrances and Exits

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Drama, Friendship, Gen, post-episode
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-01
Updated: 2012-06-01
Packaged: 2017-11-06 11:29:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/418391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Is that Emily Prentiss for no?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Entrances and Exits

**Author's Note:**

> SPOILERS FOR HIT/RUN!!!! Every attempt to write a non-angst ridden Emily story about the finale fails miserably. I want to keep writing about her in the BAU but Erica Messer so beautifully ended her run I’m not even sure I can. But I can keep trying.

“C'mere you,” Will smiled as he wrapped his arms around Emily. She hugged him close. “I wouldn’t even be here…”

“If I wasn’t fuckin nuts sometimes.” She finished his sentence.

“What you did yesterday was brave, and a little insane.”

“Just like when you walked into that bank.”

“Can we just be grateful that Stratton was a lousy shot?”

“And that Matthew and Izzy were so vain that we could figure out their secret codes?”

Will smiled. There were more than a few times yesterday that he was sure he was as good as dead. Stratton was actually a damn good shot; he just wanted Will to suffer. That didn’t matter to him as much as protecting JJ and Henry did. But being here tonight, with JJ as his wife, and around all the people who loved him he knew he wasn’t ready to leave this world. 

There was much more life to live. More good things were coming for them. Knowing their jobs, more insanity was coming as well. Will wanted to focus on the good things like he always did. The good things were all around him tonight.

“You seem a little off tonight.” he said. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“That’s the question of the hour.”

“Is that Emily Prentiss for no?”

“We’ll all have to talk eventually. Tonight we’re here to celebrate you and JJ. We’re here to celebrate love, family, friends, and the commitments we've made to each other.”

“I've wanted to marry her since the moment I laid eyes on her in New Orleans.” Will replied.

“I knew that.”

“You always had my back, making fun of my accent notwithstanding.”

“And its still goofy.” Emily smiled. “I knew how much you two loved each other. I knew JJ well enough to know she’d fight it tooth and nail.”

“Speaking of love, I hear there's someone new in your life.”

“What did you hear?”

“That he's an Ambassador and that this might be serious. I also heard you were hiding him. The fact that he's not here tonight…”

“He’s not an Ambassador. His official title is Diplomatic Negotiator; at least it used to be. Stephen really wanted to be here. His name is Stephen but I bet you already knew that. Unfortunately there was an emergency at work; we should be used to that. He’s a good man.”

“Is he a good man for you?” Will asked.

“Dare I say yes and be proven wrong?”

“You deserve the best, Emily Prentiss. You're a very special woman, and my wife loves you very much.”

“I love her too. I love the both of you and that crazy little boy of yours. Tell me how blissful domestic bliss is.”

“Mmm, on Sundays, Wednesdays, and the occasional Tuesday afternoon I highly recommend it. The other days are work, work, and a little more work.”

“Don’t we already work our asses off?”

“There's time for play as well…if you don’t mind staying up late.”

“I hear the nighttime is the right time, Detective LaMontagne.”

Will laughed, spinning her around. He knew something was wrong. If he asked again Emily would accuse him of being around profilers too long. It wouldn’t be the first time she said that. He decided to cut her some slack. Whatever was going on with her might not be any of his business. 

Or it could just be the same stress everyone else was feeling. They were there to celebrate, they were doing a good job, but something else was in the air too. There were too many close calls to count yesterday. When you came that close to death it made you think. It would be the second time for Emily in a year. If she didn’t take pause Will would be concerned.

“I say we make plans to meet this not-Ambassador Stephen sometime soon.” He said. “We can do a couples thing.”

“Strauss isn’t invited.”

“I was surprised to see that, but it looks like the real deal to me. Look at the smile on Dave’s face. Considering all he's done for me and Jen, I gotta have his back. We don’t get to choose our family.”

“Tell me about it.” she rolled her eyes. “You'll meet Stephen, I promise. I know I won't have much choice in the matter.”

The song was fading and Emily slipped out of his arms. She needed a drink and his wife wanted another dance. She headed for the bar, where a group of agents had congregated for good times. It was hard to slip outside and look in at these events. Everyone in the room knew each other, and the few strangers were quickly acquainted. 

There were cliques but it was still an open and friendly environment. That made it almost impossible to take up a corner and just observe. Still, she could see Hotch and Garcia dancing (and wished she had her camera). Reid and Morgan were laughing about something with Gina and Anderson. Rossi was showing Henry the finer points of Rochambeau with Strauss sitting nearby wearing a content smile. 

This was her family and she loved them dearly. Maybe before everything that happened happened, they had calmed the call of the wild in her belly. She’d been tired of running and getting nowhere. She wanted to be normal more than anything. And for a little while she almost was. 

Nothing lasted forever, right; not even the really good things? Everything came to an end. Perhaps it was just better to end it yourself instead of life, or death, doing it for you. And whatever regrets Emily might have would just go with all the others. They would never tarnish all the memories she had of these people and these times.

***


End file.
